The Big 12/SEC Challenge, something new to the format, won't take place over the course of days but rather weeks. Five of them, to be exact. That's a shame, because this kind of series works best when all schools involved get on board and play the games within a few-day period, really. Otherwise, even vested college basketball fans lose interest and/or count when things drag on. (It's why the Big 12/Pac-10 Hardwood Series came to a whimpering end.)

ESPN, which will broadcast all 10 games, says it's working on squeezing the series to something more contained in the years ahead. Nevertheless, here's the newest made-for-TV interconference arrangement. Two games are at neutral sites. And since the Big 12 has 10 teams (naturally) and the SEC 14, four clubs are missing out on the fun. Those four are Arkansas, Georgia, LSU and Tennessee.

Times and channels still TBD.

Date

Game

Thursday, Nov. 14

Texas Tech at Alabama

Monday, Dec. 2

Vanderbilt at Texas

Auburn at Iowa State

Thursday, Dec. 5

Ole Miss at Kansas State

West Virginia at Missouri

TCU at Mississippi State

Friday, Dec. 6

South Carolina at No. 11 Oklahoma State

No. 1 Kentucky vs. No. 19 Baylor (Arlington)

Tuesday, Dec. 10

No. 5 Kansas at No. 7 Florida

Saturday, Dec. 21

Oklahoma vs. Texas A&M (Houston)

Kentucky-Baylor and Kansas-Florida are the two headliners. KU is 3-1 all-time against Florida, while UK is 7-1 against Baylor (but lost last year to the Bears).